I am still in Ft. Myers Beach still and will be leaving on Monday. This visit has turned into such a wonderful experience. I met up with my sister on Wednesday afternoon at a local restaurant, and it was such a beautiful reunion! I had not seen my sister since June 2008, and it was absolutely wonderful to see her and HUG her! We both started crying like babies, but neither of us cared one bit! I have gone to two of her Narcotic Annonymous groups with her and the support of the members is unbelievable! It was so emotional to be there with my sister on her one year anniversary, and I really feel blessed to be a part of that special day. I could not stop smiling from the pride I felt and I feel as though a thousand pound weight has been lifted from my heart.

My sister finally realized that the man she had been with is not good for her, and discovered that he has been using "crack" for some time now and also had been stealing money from her. I was able to talk with her about his abuse and I was able to support her when she realized that his abuse towards her had nothing to do with "her", but it was his own addictions that was the problem.

I rented a U-Haul tuck on Friday, and moved her out when her "ex" was at work. WHAT A VICTORY!!! If she didn't go when she did, she knows that she would have kept going back to the loser...even though she knew he would never change. On saturday, we went shopping and bought her some new bedding, toiletries, etc to get her started in her new place. She is renting a room from a fellow NA member who has been clean for 7 years...and he is a genuinly nice person, is responsible and upstanding (his drug use was "pot")

My sister still has some healing to do, but she is now in a safe place, away from the emotional abuse and away that jerk. He actually had the nerve to tell her "you know, we can still be friends ....as long as you are clean" What a hypocrite!

Anyway....I know I jumped around a bit in my "update", and i think it is from being so exhausted from all of the emotions and physically moving her out of one place and into another....but my heart is still smiling and I can rest up once I'm back in Minnesota. (one bit of advice...don't try to move out and into a place on the same day if you live in Florida! It's so HOT and HUMID! I am sure I lost 10 lbs from sweating! )

I actually feel like I can breath deeper than I have ever been able to before, and I really feel that my "spirit and soul" have been rejuvinated. This is exactly where I needed to be this week, and I wouldn't trade any of it! My sister still has a long way to go, but she is ready for the challenge and wants to work on getting her credit restored, and really start "living" her life.

Thank you all for your support through this, I truly feel blessed.